Parachute and launching apparatus therefor



April 7, 1931. M. s. KELLEY PARACHUTE AND LAUNCHING APPARATUS THEREFOR 5, 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed June INVENTOR MA TTl/EW 5. 4

ELLE) 2 ATTORNEYS April 7, 1931 M. s. KELLEY 1,799,376

PARACHUTE AND LAUNCHING APPARATUS THEREFOR Original Filed June 5, 1928 2 ts-S ee 2 m flllllllllil a 11 INVENTOR MATTHEW 6'. KELLEY ATTORN EYS Patented Apr. 7, 1931 i, ararrnnw is, satin, or new You, my.

' 'rmonu'rn Ann nA'Un'cHmG arrana'rus rnnnnron' I Application filed June ,5; 1 928, Serial No. 282,98 Renewed January 20, 1931.

This invention relates tocimprovernents in parachutes and. launching means therefor,

and has for-one of ,itsobjects to providelan;

improved equipment designed to lb e mounted upon the fuselage of an aeroplane in such manner that the parachuteamay be quickly" and effectively released and caused to open to its operative position,

, other object'is to attach the. parachutebody to anair-pressure tank supported upon the fuselage and to provide means capable ofmoving said parachute relative to the tank, utilizing such relative movement to control the release of the tank from, the fuselage and theescape, of air, from said tank into theparachutebody tocause it to open immediately.

Another object is to minimize the bility of the tail of the; aeroplane, when in a nosedive, striking the tank or person supported j below the sameafter releaseof the tank from the -fuselage, but before said tank or erson are entirel clearthereof. he aboveand otherobje ts-willappear;

more clearly from thefollowing detailed de-X scription,:when taken in connection with the accompanyin drawings, which illustrate a preferredem odiment of the; inventive. idea.

In the drawings 1, I

Figure 1 isa' fragmentary perspective view;of the fuselage ofan aeroplane, showin the improved parachute equipment ap plied thereto and in its inoperativeposition; Figure 2is an enlarged fragmentaryside elevation of the equipment, partly broken awayand shown in section; i Y 1 e Flgu're 3 is aisectional View; substantially on the.line-3-,3 ofsFigurel'; Figure 4 is an elevation. ofvthe parachute equipment, partly broken, awayand shown in l section after its release from the fuse lagje, 1 igure 5 is-a section on the line 5 -5 .of Fi -re-2;and H i gure' 6 is a fragmentary,-longitudinal sectionthrough thesfuselage show-ing the v pgsition of thecompressed air-tank upon'the selage and the-seat suspended from said -tank.

Referring more particularly. to the. accompanying drawings, the numeral 10 f the fuselage of angaeroplane; havingjthe usual-cockpit 11 rearwardly of, which and within the fuselage is'provided a permanent seat.12 for a passenger. zDire'ct-lylabovethei seat-12 thereof ofthe-fuselageis provided 1 a with an iopenin 1-3 whichis normally closed by a: tank i l a aPtQd-Ito contain compressed air, fora purpose presentl to appear and which, after launching an inthe event oflanding in; water, will providea raftto which the passenger may cling until rescued. Thectank 14 has suspended therefrom a seat 15mwhich, normally rests upon-the seat 12. and: in which the passen er seats himself when ridingwithin rthef lage by means oftwosliding latch members. 16 each mounted in guides 1-7; onopposite sides 'of, the: tank 14-,andprovided with- 8; plurality of extensions-18 forming slots for receiving pins ;or' rods '19 projecting I out fvardly from the-[adjacent side of thefusea e. 1: 1a; $011 each side of the tank 14;.and interl neuselageql0, The Y 1 tank 14; is detachably connected ,to the fusea diate the ends thereof the same isprovided with exterior: and interior bearings'QO and2l (Figure-"5) through which the inturned end 22 ofca hollow yoke member 23 lextends for pivotal movement within said bearings and relative. tothe. tank 14.: The yoke 23 constitutes part of a; parachute body-supporting frame: 24i: to "which is connected, at a l point adjacent the upper end of the-yokemernber, a ring 25.- Thisring has attachedthereto the cords 26 of the parachutebody-Q'Z, which ma'y be of any FdGSlI'GdCOIlSlJIllCtlQII andwhich is normall adapted to be, folded, togetherw-ith the cords :26,about thelupper portion of the frame when the. parachute .is n, its inoperative position. In the latterpositionthe frame 24 is extendedrrearwardly and longitudinally ofthe fuselage and c is held: in such position by the covers 28 vhinged to the-roof thereof and havingitheir' free longitudinalqedges held together in covering-position by a pivoted latch- 29 secured-to said roof. 5 The. latch 29 is release'dIfrom-the cockpit 11 by an operatingleve'r 30 to which is connected oneend of a link 31, the other end. of., whi'ch is joinedto i it a bell-crank 32 in turn joined to one end of a connecting rod 33. Another bell-crank 34 is connected to the other end of the rod 33 and this bell-crank is joined to a link 35 connected to the latch 29. Thus, when the lever 30 is actuated the latch 29 is disengaged from one of the covers 28 whereupon said covers will swing open as the frame 2'4"carrying the folded parachute 27 is moved from its normal position about the tank as a pivot toward the perpendicular position shown in Figure 4.

To automatically effect the movement of the frame 24 to its operative position upon release of the covers 28, each inturned end 22 of the yoke 23 has secured thereto exteriorly of the adjacent side of the tank 14 a casing 36 to which is secured the inner end of a heavy coil spring 37, the outer end of which is fastened to the side of the tank 14 by an arm 38. \Vhen the frame 24 is in its normal position the spring 37 is under tension and upon release of the covers 28 said spring will be efiective to rotate the casing 36 and consequently the yoke 23 so that the frame will be swung upwardly toward its perpendicular position. In order to stop the frame in this position relative to the tank 14, the latter carries a spring-pressed locking pin 39, the outer end of which normally engages a flange 40 upon the inner edge of the casing 36, but enters an opening 41 1n said flange when the yoke 23 has reached the perpendicular position.

At this point in the operation of launching the parachute, the tank 14 is released from the fuselage and simultaneously the compressed air within said tank is permitted to escape through the frame 24 toward the parachute body 27 to immediately open said body. To release the tank the latch member 16 is provided with a pin 42 adapted to be engaged by an abutment 43 carried by the casing 36 and when said pin is struck by said abutment the latch member 16 will be forced to the right, as viewed in Figure 2, thereby disengaging the extensions 18 from the pins 19. At the same time that the tank is released an opening 44 in the inner extremity of each of the inturned ends 22 is registered with an openin 45 in the bushing 46 forming part of the inner bearing 21. Vith said openings thus aligned the air within the tank 14 is permitted to escape into the hollow frame 24 and passes outwardly therefrom to impinge against a deflector 47 secured to the outer end of the frame adjacent the parachute body 27 The pressure of air escaping from the frame acts immediately to open the body 27 and the frame 24, carrying the tank 14 and seat 15 with a person seated in the latter, is lifted from the fuselage.

Means are provided to avoid the possibility, when the parachute equipment is released, of

the tank or person supported thereunder from being struck by any portion of the tail of the aeroplane, as when the same is out of control and nose diving. This means consists of a fender 48 hinged at 49 adjacent the tail of the aeroplane and normally extended forwardly beneath the folded parachute 27, with the free forward end of said fender provided with an angular extension 50 which engages over the rear end of the tank 14. WVhen the tank 14 is released and leaves the fuselage, the extension 50 of the fender remains in engagen'ient with the tank for a short interval until said tank and the person thereunder is clear of the fuselage, the fender then swinging about its pivot toward a perpendicular position relative to the fuselage and, in so doing, maintains the tank at a distance from the tail of the aeroplane. The tank 14 will finally free itself from engagement with the fender as the aeroplane falls away from the parachute.

What is claimed is:

1. In a parachute launching apparatus, a parachute body-supporting frame pivotally and releasably connected to'the fuselage of an aeroplane, releasable means for maintaining said frame in an inoperative position on said fuselage, a compressed air storagetank for supplying air to the body of the parachute through said frame, means controlled by a movement of said frame about its pivot, when said releasable means is actuated, to disconnect said frame from said fuselage, and means also controlled by said movement for releasing the air pressure from said tank.

2. In a parachute launching apparatus, a tank releasably connected to the fuselage of an aeroplane, a parachute body-supporting frame pivoted to said tank, releasable means to hold said frame in an inoperative position, means to-swing said frame to an operative position when said releasable means is actuated, and means to disconnect said tank from said fuselage upon movement of said frame to its operative position.

3. In a parachute launching apparatus, a tank releasably connected to the fuselage of an aeroplane. a parachute body-supporting frame pivoted to said tank, releasable means to hold said frame in an inopertive position, means to swing said frame to an operative position when said releasable means is actuated, means to disconnect said tank from said fuselage upon movement of said frame to its operative position, and a seat suspended from said tank and located within the fuselage when the tank is connected to the latter.

4. In a parachute launching apparatus, a

frame to itsoperative position, and a fender pivoted to the fuselage and engageable with said tank for a short interval after its disconnection from the fuselage.

5. In a parachute launching apparatus, a compressed air tank releasably connected to the fuselage of an aeroplane, a parachute body-supporting frame pivoted to said tank, releasable means to hold said frame in an inoperative position, means to swing said frame to an operative position when said releasable means is actuated, means to disconnect said tank from said fuselage upon movement of said frame to its operative position, and means controlled by-said movement to allow the escape of air from said tank and through said frame to spread the body of the parachute.

6. In a parachute launching apparatus, a tank releasably connected to the fuselage of an aeroplane, a parachute body-s11 porting frame pivoted to said tank, releasab e means to hold said frame in an inoperative position, a casing secured to said frame, a spring Within said casing having one end secured thereto and its other end to said tank and operable upon actuation of said releasable means to swing said frame to an operative position, and means on said casing operable upon. movement of said frame to its operative position to actuate said releasable means.

7. In a parachute launching apparatus, a tank releasably connected to the fuselage of an aeroplane, a parachute body-supporting frame pivoted to said tank, releasable means to hold said frame in an inoperative position, a casing secured to said frame, a springwithin said casin having one end secured thereto and its other end to said tank and operable upon actuation of said releasable means to swing said frame to an operative position, means on said casing operable upon movement of said frame to its operative position to actuate said releasable means, and means carried by the tank and engageable with said casing to lock said frame in its operative position.

8. In a parachute launching apparatus, a compressed air tank releasably connected to the fuselage of an aeroplane, a hollow parachute body-supporting frame including a yoke havin its ends extending into said tank for pivotaldy connecting the frame thereto, the inner ends of said yoke having openings therein, apert-ured bushings in which said inner ends are rotatable, means to swing said frame and yoke from a normal to an operative position and to thereby register the openings inisaid yoke with the apertures in said bushings to permit the escape of air from the tank and through the frame to open the parachute body, and means controlled by the movement of the frame to its operative position to disconnect said tank from said fuselage.

9. In a Cparachute launching apparatus, a compresse air tank releasably connected to the fuselage of an aeroplane, a. hollow parachute body-supporting frame including a yoke having its ends extending into said tank for pivotally connecting the frame thereto, the inner ends of said yoke having openings therein, apertured bushings in which said inner ends are rotatable, means to swing said frame and yoke from a normal to an operative' position and to thereby register the openings in said yoke with the apertures in said bushings to permit the escape of air from the tank and through the frame to open the parachute body, a sliding latch member engageable with portions of the fuselage to connect said tank thereto, and means operated by the movement. of said frame to its operative position to actuate said latch memher to release said tank.

10. In a parachute launching apparatus, a parachute body-supporting frame releasably connected to the fuselage of an aeroplane and having movement relative thereto before being released, means to effect said relative movement, and an air storage tank for supplying air to the body of the parachute through said frame, said tank and frame having openings which are aligned when said frame is released to permit air to flow from the tank into said frame.

In testimony whereof I have afii ed my sig nature.

MATTHEW S. KELLEY. 

